I think we’ve been adopted

Posted by Alan Knox on Jul 26, 2008 in discipleship, fellowship | Comments Off on I think we’ve been adopted

I few weeks ago, in a post called “Missional without the label“, I wrote about some friends of our who have been going to a nursing home every week for the past year or so. They meet with these dear men and women on Monday mornings. While class is in session, I cannot meet with them. But, since its summer, and classes are not in session, I’ve been able to take an early lunch hour and get to know some of the residents. My family has joined us as well.

During these times of meeting with the nursing home residents, we’ve met one person in particular. Her name is Jenny (see my post “Faces, Names, Lives” where I mention Jenny along with a few other people that God has placed in our lives). We’ve visited Jenny a few times on Saturdays (we’ll probably visit her the day this is published).

I’ve learned so much from talking to Jenny. She grew up in New York City – quite different from rural Alabama where I grew up. She was not introduced to God at an early age the way that I was – although she says that she was never an atheist. She does not know much about the Bible, and has only recently started reading it. She lost both of her sons when they were in their early twenties. She’s now living in a nursing home – in a wheelchair. She recently hurt both of her legs in an accident. Very few people come to visit her. The staff of the nursing home take her out to dinner once a month, and they take her shopping once a month.

So, what does Jenny say about all this? What does she say about her life? What does she say about living in a nursing home and rarely leaving?

Jenny says, “I’m blessed”. She crocheted butterflies for the children who meet with her and the other residents on Monday mornings as a way of saying, “Thank you”. She makes blankets for children with cancer and sends them to a local hospital. Jenny doesn’t know alot about God, but she recognizes that God is doing something in her life, and she is responding to God and demonstrating the love of God – even in her situation.

Jenny says, “I’m blessed”. Yes, she is blessed. And, my family is blessed to know her, and I’m looking forward to learning more from her. Yes, a young (relatively) man who grew up “in church”, graduated from a seminary, and is studying for a PhD in biblical theology can learn about God from Mrs. Jenny.

Who are learning about God from?